How to Use Common Latin Abbreviations in Scientific Writing

Latin abbreviations are a great way to condense your text. But some scientific and medical authors interchange them or use them incorrectly.

To ensure you use Latin abbreviations correctly in your writing, here's a list of common Latin abbreviations in scientific and medical writing and their meanings.

eg = for example

The abbreviation “eg” stands for “exempli gratia,” which means “for example.” This abbreviation is used to provide specific examples that fall under a more general category. When using this abbreviation for a list of exmaples, you do not need to include the conjunction “and” or follow the list with “etc.” Also, depending on the style guide, you may or may not use periods in this abbreviation.

Example

Patients reported several flu-like symptoms (eg, cough, fever, chills).

et al = and others

The abbreviation “et al” stands for “et alia,” which means “and others.” This abbreviation is used to refer to a source with multiple authors. Most often, “et al” is followed by a period, but not all style guides follow this format.

Example

Smith et al developed an intervention for patients with breast cancer.

etc = and so forth

The abbreviation “etc” stands for “et cetera,” which means “and other things” or “and so forth.” This abbreviation is used at the end of a list to indicate that the list goes on and includes other things. Most often, “etc” is followed by a period, but this style may vary between guidelines.

Example

The clinician noted signs of a bone fracture (pain, swelling, bruising, etc).

ie = that is

The abbreviation “ie” stands for “id est,” which means “that is.” This abbreviation is used to introduce a word or phrase that restates what has been said previously. Depending on the style guide, you may or may not use periods in this abbreviation.

Example

The study identified national acute care or critical access hospitals (ie, nonemergency hospitals).

vs = versus

The abbreviation “vs” stands for “versus,” which means “against” or “in contrast to.” This abbreviation is used to compare items. The abbreviation “vs” may also appear as “v” in legal documents and may or may not be followed by a period, depending on the style guide.

Example

The researchers compared the effects of the drug on the control vs treatment groups.